Ann_T

Cranberry and Pistachio Baguettes. Dough was hand-mixed last night and left to rise in the fridge overnight.

Fed both sourdough starters last night and made two sourdough bigas with the excess. Left on the counter overnight. Handmixed two batches of dough, one with a white sourdough biga and the other with a Spelt sourdough biga. Baked both rounds and baguettes.

Moe's breakfast. I had some small pieces of beef tenderloin in the freezer, leftover from when I trimmed a whole tenderloin. Perfect for breakfast. Seared the beef quickly, and then sautéed some mushrooms in the same pan. Served with buttered basted eggs.

Rotuts, definitely. Lots of butter. Bagels fresh out of the oven. The dough was hand-mixed. Usually I knead the dough in the Magic Mill, but I had this bright idea that I would hand-mix using the autolyze and stretch and fold methods. Turns out this method is a lot easier to do with a dough that has a higher hydration. Bagel dough is a more stiff dough, at 56%. I'm going to run over to the store and pick up some smoked salmon for dinner.

I made Samosas recently using a favourite recipe from Julie Sahni's Classic Indian Cooking. I woke up with a craving so I made them early and took most of them to work to share. Moe had his breakfast. The recipe is here:

Yesterday's bread. Hand-mixed late afternoon and baked last night. 72% Hydration. Sliced this morning and toasted for breakfast.

Potato Pancakes and Sausage.

I've never been a fan of BBQ sauces because I don't like sweet with meat. The exception is the TBQ sauce from the Tunnel BBQ restaurant that had been around for 73 years in Windsor, Ontario and just recently closed. They are still going to be selling their sauce. I have a copy cat recipe for TBQ sauce that was published in the Windsor newspaper years ago. I use this sauce on ribs, wings, pulled pork, etc.. TBQ SauceSource: Windsor Newspaper 1/2 cup Ketchup 1/2 cup prepared mustard 1/2 cup vinegar white 1-1/2 teaspoons salt 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1-1/2 teaspoons chile powder 1/4 cup white sugar. Place all ingredients in a blender and mix. MY NOTES: The original recipe did not require refrigeration. I stored mine in the refrigerator. And it lasts for months. I used less sugar than was called for, because I really do prefer a more savory then sweet sauce.

Cat, I would love to see your loaves. Bread doesn't have to be fancy to be good. ~Ann

I'm assuming since, unlike the show CHOP, where the contestants are not given advanced notice of what ridiculous ingredients they have to work with , that the student was expected to do some research. He made use of two very good sources available to him - his mother and eGullet. What is wrong with that? ~Ann

Jesusfdezprieto, look forward to your posts. Huiray, your food is always so vibrant. Easy to imagine all the flavours. CatPoet, I haven't made Swedish Meatballs in at least a year. They look delicious. Now I have a craving. Kim, I would be happy with a bowl of your chili and cornbread for breakfast. Last night's dinner. Grilled filets with parisienne potatoes, zucchini and cherry tomatoes and mushrooms in a cream sauce with thyme and creme fraiche in toast cups. Chicken Livers Greek style.

Norm, it did heat up fast. Faster than my regular oven heats the stone. I made the peel out of a piece of Big Leaf (Western) Maple . It is the same wood that we use to make our boards. This piece was off a burl. Lots of amazing figures. ~Ann

Pizza last night using my new toy . A Bakerstone Pizza Oven for the grill. The oven gets up to 800°F depending on your grill. I have a five burner grill. Baked two pizzas, both in less than 4 minutes. First up was one topped with sausage and mushrooms. The oven is hotter in the back so the pizza needs to be 1/4 turned every 45 seconds. After two turns. Really happy with the crust. Second Pizza went into the oven immediately after the first came out. No need to wait. In fact, I turned the grill down a little for the second pizza. Second was a Margherita Pizza. After first turn. Just out of the oven. My peel was too big for the Bakerstone, and I couldn't find a smaller peel locally, so I made my own.

I think it is as simple as leftover potatoes do not taste the same as just cooked potatoes. I call any potato that is cooked and not eaten immediately, leftovers. One of the reasons I do not like leftover stew if it contains potatoes. Potatoes never taste the same as they do when 'just' cooked. ~Ann

Today's bread. Baked today, but the dough was hand-mixed yesterday and given 24 hours in the fridge. Sliced.

SobaAddict, everything looks delicious, but this is what I would love to try. Dejah, YUM!! Perfectly cooked roast beef. Made a Tarte Flambee for dinner last night. A Flammkuchen made with a yeast dough crust. Topped with a garlic seasoned Creme Fraiche, sauteed onions and bacon. Bacon is just on half because somehow I raised a son that won't eat pork. I made a large batch of baguette dough yesterday. Bread will be baked today. Used a little to make this 'pizza' crust.

Poached Eggs and Sausage. Toasted homemade bread.

Thanks Rotus. FauxPas, The cheese is from Natural Pastures - Mozzarella di Bufala Fairburn. Made from 100% buffalo milk from Fairburn Farms here in the Cowichan Valley. ~Ann

I shouldn't come here to browse so early in the morning. Now I will have cravings all day. This is a catch up post. Pizza last night. One with basil and olives and one with Italian sausage and mushrooms. Both with mozzarella di bufala made locally here on the Island. Ground top sirloin steaks to make burgers. Sirloin Cap Roast Everything cooked on the grill. Grilled Baby Back Ribs with TBQ sauce and roasted potatoes.

Nicolai, What a great photo. Kim, that is one beautiful quiche. And a perfect slice. A few of our recent breakfasts. Linguine Alfredo with poached egg and bacon. Pancakes with caramelized bananas in maple syrup. Poached Eggs. Meatloaf Hash and buttered basted eggs.

Anna, I like the texture/crumb of your potato bread. Looks like it would be perfect for sandwiches. I'm so boring, I tend to make the same style of bread, with slight variations. I need to do what you do and add a couple of new breads to the rotation. Baked sourdough last night. I made a biga Saturday morning before leaving for work and hand kneaded the dough Saturday night. It went into the fridge until Sunday afternoon. Moe took the bucket out of the fridge around 3:00 PM so that I would be able to bake Sunday night.

Anna, I must confess, I'm not a fan of whole wheat either. But this bread turned out well and Moe really liked it. (Unfortunately). So, I'll continue to play around experimenting with WW. I think the next batch of WW will be made with organic hard white winter wheat, rather than the Red Fife. Meanwhile, I made another batch of my basic daily bread on Wednesday. Shaped as small boules instead of baguettes. The perfect size for two to share. Really happy with the crumb on this bread made from 'same day' dough.

Kim, I feel for you. Hope your thumb heals quickly. Roast Chicken dinner.

Shelby, the recipe comes from Rick Bayless, with a slight adjustment. You can find it here. You can adjust the heat to suit your own taste. ~Ann

A few recent meals. Tex Mex two days in a row. Chile Rellenos. Roasted fresh poblano peppers and stuffed with cheese. I had leftover salsa and beans, so I made Chicken Chimichungas. Just had to make the sauce, cook some rice and roast a couple of chicken breasts. Earlier this week we had breaded chicken breasts. Fresh bread crumbs seasoned with fresh grated parmesan cheese.